Hooks simplify component logic and reuse, but a full rewrite introduces risk. A safer approach is incremental migration with clear rules.
Migration order that keeps momentum
- Convert leaf components (presentational UI)
- Convert components with simple state
- Convert shared components used across pages
- Convert complex containers last
Patterns that prevent regressions
- Keep props stable and avoid implicit behavior changes
- Replace lifecycle logic with explicit effects and dependencies
- Prefer custom hooks for shared logic to avoid duplication
- Add tests before refactors when behavior is unclear
Common pitfalls
- Effects that re-run due to unstable dependencies
- Stale closures when using async callbacks
- Overusing global state when local state is enough
The best migrations preserve behavior first, then improve design after the system is stable.